Alan Johnson's "Fear of the Uknown" take... and why I take issue with it.

Johnson's Claim

Upon reading Alan Johnson's book, I took issue with a key concept he proposes: "For all its popularity, the idea that everyone is naturally frightened by difference is a cultural myth that, more than anything, justifies keeping outsiders on the outside and treating them badly if they happen to get in" (16). I admire how open Johnson is to permitting acceptance, but in the process, I think he undermines the severity of anxieties towards uncertainties. * There is evidence that supports that fear of the unknown is a very real and very human experience. The erasure of the validity of this idea only permits further bigotry. It gives a life sentence to people who would otherwise be willing to change their mind.

Psychology Today released a study in 2016 that shows, "Fear of the Unknown Compounds Many Anxiety Disorders."

Johnson also claims that "...it isn't what we don't know that frightens us, it's what we think we do know." While I see what he is claiming and how he uses it to dismantle privilege, I actually believe that the opposite is far closer to the truth-- and more importantly-- the solution. What we think we know is truly a manifestation of what we don't know. Uncertainty is anxiety's favorite feast, made from the never-ending outcomes our brains invent-- most of which never even come true. Even still, we drain our energy in attempt to feed the insatiable beast. * 

Personal Experience with the Unknown

I first learned about homosexuality when my older stepsister was watching Glee in the living room. Kurt entered with my whole family in the room and the word "gay" was introduced to me. They explained that it simply means that Kurt likes other boys. As a six-year-old, this was just as shocking as hearing that Miley Cyrus cut her hair during her Wrecking Ball era. Not because it was wrong but because it was my first exposure (to homosexuality and classic Disney freak outs). It felt extremely strange because of how new it was to me, even though in the grand scheme it is harmless and normal. Now looking back, homosexuality and Disney stars "breaking free" have always and will always happen, I just hadn't witnessed them yet. Using my elementary brain with only 72 months of development, I was not hateful. I was just a child with only three years of reasoning under my belt. My reaction was an assumption I quickly made in uncharted land because it felt safe and comfortable. * Upon later conversations, I learned that two people of the same gender can love each other just the same as two people of opposite genders. Now, nearly 13 years later, I love hearing love stories of all identities, and I know that everyone on Earth, no matter their orientation, is worthy of love and devotion.

Exposure Therapy

In continuance of backing up the claim of fearing the unknown, a well-supported idea is exposure therapy. At its foundation, exposure therapy proves that the more that you are exposed to an idea, the more comfortable you become with it. The opposite is also true: the less you are exposed to something, the more you fear it. If everyone moving forward decides to bring forth these ideas out of love, empathy, and understanding while keeping their minds open to new ideas, people will become more comfortable with new concepts. As they veer away from being "unknown" and become the "norm," learning and accepting new concepts will become more comfortable. 

*Chat GPT edited. Here is a video link of all of the prompts given.